GBLT people in the church

[spiritually inclined]

How likely is it that an openly gay person in a relationship would find acceptance in an Episcopal church if (s)he wanted to be baptized and confirmed?

James

 

[lunamoth]

While it would vary from place to place, I would say the chances of being fully accepted are very good. In my diocese I think the chances of being fully accepted would be excellent, although some individual churches will vary in the warmth or chilliness you might experience because, well, people are people and not all are uniformly open to this.

There is a broad range of understanding and belief about homosexuality in the Episcopal Church, and I'm sure you have noticed that there is a lot of discussion about this going on right now. The Episcopal Church, as well as Anglican churches in a couple of other countries, has been very progressive in including GLBT adherants at every level of service in the Church...including the ordination of a gay Bishop (which opened the debate up a few years ago).

Also, if a person has been baptized there is no need to be baptized again to be part of the Episcopal Church.

added: unless you bring it up yourself, I'd say it is not likely that anyone else would either.

 

[Smoke]

How likely is it that an openly gay person in a relationship would find acceptance in an Episcopal church if (s)he wanted to be baptized and confirmed?

Like she said, it varies from place to place. Depending on where you live, though, it ought to be fairly easy to find an Episcopal church that accepts gay people up to (but not including) the point of blessing a same-sex marriage.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Our last priest was openly Gay.
He did move to another parish when he "married" his partner.
Our Bishop would not accept a practising Gay priest.
The Bishop covering his new parish would.
There is at yet no hard and fast rule.

 

[Angelfire]

Our last priest was openly Gay.
He did move to another parish when he "married" his partner.
Our Bishop would not accept a practising Gay priest.
The Bishop covering his new parish would.
There is at yet no hard and fast rule.

I have a hard time understanding Gays wanting to be in church ministry.The Christian

Faith after all is about gaining mastery over our appetites and lusts. Perhaps I'm just

old fashioned.




peace

 

[doppelganger]

I have a hard time understanding Gays wanting to be in church ministry.The Christian

Faith after all is about gaining mastery over our appetites and lusts. Perhaps I'm just

old fashioned.

Then why would heterosexuals want to be in ministry either?

 

[Angelfire]

Then why would heterosexuals want to be in ministry either?

I will only speak for myself. The day I made my confession of Faith was the start of a new life in Christ, Behold all things are new, the old has passed away.




peace

 

[spiritually inclined]

You didn't actually answer the question.

James

 

[sojourner]

I have a hard time understanding Gays wanting to be in church ministry.The Christian

Faith after all is about gaining mastery over our appetites and lusts. Perhaps I'm just

old fashioned.




peace

That's a little like saying the Hokey-Pokey is "what it's all about."

The faith of the laity is the exact same type and degree of faith as the clergy. As Barbara Brown Taylor (an Episcopal priest) has said, (paraphrasing), one's call to ordained ministry is a step-down process -- not an exaltation.

If you're going to question the faith of the clerygy, then you must also question the faith of the laity in this regard. Maybe "gaining mastery over one's appetites" isn't really what it's all about. I rather suspect that, for the Anglican, faith is all about believing that grace conquers death, which comes about from sin.

 

[Angelfire]

That's a little like saying the Hokey-Pokey is "what it's all about."

The faith of the laity is the exact same type and degree of faith as the clergy. As Barbara Brown Taylor (an Episcopal priest) has said, (paraphrasing), one's call to ordained ministry is a step-down process -- not an exaltation.

If you're going to question the faith of the clerygy, then you must also question the faith of the laity in this regard. Maybe "gaining mastery over one's appetites" isn't really what it's all about. I rather suspect that, for the Anglican, faith is all about believing that grace conquers death, which comes about from sin.

1. I have no idea what you mean by this.

2. Dont agree with you, God does not call his children to "come down"

3. The laity are not called upon to preach holiness, repentance, conforming to the image of Christ as the clergy are. I have been an Anglican for most of my life and I can assure you that Anglicans believe that Christ conquered death through his
sacrifice on the cross, and thru repentance we can share that victory.

4. Dying daily to self (gaining mastery) is what it is all about, God cannot fill an already full vessel.

5. We are called upon to love all people but we are not called upon to accept something we perceive to be wrong.





peace

 

[sojourner]

1. I have no idea what you mean by this.

2. Dont agree with you, God does not call his children to "come down"

3. The laity are not called upon to preach holiness, repentance, conforming to the image of Christ as the clergy are. I have been an Anglican for most of my life and I can assure you that Anglicans believe that Christ conquered death through his
sacrifice on the cross, and thru repentance we can share that victory.

4. Dying daily to self (gaining mastery) is what it is all about, God cannot fill an already full vessel.

5. We are called upon to love all people but we are not called upon to accept something we perceive to be wrong.





peace

1. Which part of my post is the part of which you "have no idea?"

2. Then disagree also with BBT, who's an Episcopal priest. Disagree with my bishop, my ordination committee, my Commission on Ministry, my professors, my priests, (etc. etc.) who happen to agree with BBT's take on the nature of ordination. It appears to be a common theological POV in the Episcopal Church.

3. The laity are called to live the Good News in the same way that the clergy are. One's Christian authority comes from one place: Baptism. All ordination does is authorize God's call to live into and fulfill the duties of one particular office of the ministry of the whole Body. There is no double-standard (in the ECUSA, at least) for moral behavior.

4. The vessel was filled in the Incarnation, accepted in our baptism, and affirmed in our confirmation. That's the good news. Dying to self is part of our process of learning to live into that reality.

5. I don't recall anyone asking you to do that.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

1. I have no idea what you mean by this.

2. Dont agree with you, God does not call his children to "come down"

3. The laity are not called upon to preach holiness, repentance, conforming to the image of Christ as the clergy are. I have been an Anglican for most of my life and I can assure you that Anglicans believe that Christ conquered death through his
sacrifice on the cross, and thru repentance we can share that victory.

4. Dying daily to self (gaining mastery) is what it is all about, God cannot fill an already full vessel.

5. We are called upon to love all people but we are not called upon to accept something we perceive to be wrong.


peace

I am trying to understand where you are coming from???
There is only one set of teachings in the Anglican faith...
however there are many styles of practising it; From high church Anglo Catholics to near puritan. From what you are saying it suggests to me that you are from the band of the strong charismatic or Evangelical movements, that is following the trend in beliefs seen in baptist and "Christian" churches.
These groups seem to have imported some beliefs from those churches such as being "Born again" other than by being Christened or anointed to receive the Holy Ghost as the Anglican belief.

Priests Are taught that they are like Christ... Servants... they are not exalted above the people.
Our catechism and articles call on priests and laymen to live by the same standards of belief and practice as each other.
It is necessary to be a priest to perform certain duties such as the Eucharist, however this is more to do with church law and Authority,than any any difference in nature a priest may have.

 

[Angelfire]

I am trying to understand where you are coming from???
There is only one set of teachings in the Anglican faith...
however there are many styles of practising it; From high church Anglo Catholics to near puritan. From what you are saying it suggests to me that you are from the band of the strong charismatic or Evangelical movements, that is following the trend in beliefs seen in baptist and "Christian" churches.
These groups seem to have imported some beliefs from those churches such as being "Born again" other than by being Christened or anointed to receive the Holy Ghost as the Anglican belief.

Priests Are taught that they are like Christ... Servants... they are not exalted above the people.
Our catechism and articles call on priests and laymen to live by the same standards of belief and practice as each other.
It is necessary to be a priest to perform certain duties such as the Eucharist, however this is more to do with church law and Authority,than any any difference in nature a priest may have.

Bishop J.C.Ryle, one of the greatest Anglicans wrote a book called "Holiness" if you haven' t read it already then I would suggest that you do.

From the very beginning the point I was trying to make was this, Without Holiness no
one will see the Lord. heb 12:14

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

As Christians we are called to a life of surrender and close fellowship with God. The Bible knows no other way.

Unless a man be born from above, he will not see the Kingdom of God, so says the
Christ himself, what say ye?








peace

 

[sojourner]

Bishop J.C.Ryle, one of the greatest Anglicans wrote a book called "Holiness" if you haven' t read it already then I would suggest that you do.

From the very beginning the point I was trying to make was this, Without Holiness no
one will see the Lord. heb 12:14

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

As Christians we are called to a life of surrender and close fellowship with God. The Bible knows no other way.

Unless a man be born from above, he will not see the Kingdom of God, so says the
Christ himself, what say ye?








peace

Are you saying that homosexuality is inherently impure?

Do you know that holiness has nothing to do with purity and everything to do with being set apart for a specific office of ministry within the broader ministry of the Church?